Life-boat.



E. A. HARVEY.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5| 1918- 13280317, I Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

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E. A. HARVEY.

LIFE BOAT.

' APPLICAT ION FILED FEB. 5. W18 1,280,217. Patented Oct.1,1918.

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EDWARD A, HARVEY, 0F CI-IEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF T0 VINCENT BUERGER,

0F CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN.

LIFE-BOAT.

Application filed February 5, 1918.

tomatically releasing the boat from its sup-.

porting and lowering mechanism when the life boat is lowered into the water.

Life boats as carried by ships are usually suspended from davits that are so mounted on the deck of the ship as to permit them to be swung outwardly beyond the side of the ship so that the life boat may be lowered by suitably arranged lines or block and tackle device.

Many accidents have occurred by reason of the life boat being released from its lowering mechanismbefore the boat was properly positioned in the water, and my invention aims to obviate the danger of such accidents by providing means whereby when the life boat is properly riding on the water after having been lowered, the davit connections will be automatically released so that the life boat may move away from the side of the ship.

The practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the life boat in accordance with my invention showing the same attached to and supported by the davits, only a portion of the latter being shown;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe life boat.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the same scale as Fig. 3 taken on line IVIV 01 Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0st. 1, 1918. Serial No. 215,457.

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the supporting brackets and retaining arms, one of which is provided at each end of the life boat; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view partly-broken away of the float lock.

The life boat 10 may be of any desirable here shown as being supporting the boat,

14, the purpose of which will later appear more fully.

These life boats are usually supported at each end, and I therefore provide in each end of the boat means to which the hooks 14 are connected. This means as here shown consists of a base plate 15 securely attached to the boat 10 in any desirable manner. It is provided at its upper end with the notch 16, which nlines with a notch 17 provided in the upper end of a bracket 18 which is firmly secured to the base plate 15. The lower end of the bracket 18 is extended wardly into the boat at right-angles to body of the bracket forming a lug l9, and in this lug is pivotally mounted a boat supporting arm 20, the upper end of which is bent at right-angles to the body of the arm to form a finger 21 which extends through the notches l6 and 17 in the base plate 15 and bracket 18 respectively, and is engaged by the hook 14.

The lower end of the arm 20 is pivotally connected to a rod 22 extending toward the center of the boat, the two rods 22 being pivotally connected at their other ends each to a spreader link 23, which spreader links are actuated by a float mechanism now to be described.

In the bottom of the boat there is provided a chamber 24 made watertight at its top, and in this chamber is pivotally mounted a float 25, the float being pivoted at one end. Such float is normally held depressed by means of a suitable look here shown as in the form of a bell crank 26, the ends of which are pivoted in the side walls of the chamber 24, and which bell crank has a handle 27 for operating the same. At the free end of the float 25 an arm 28 is pivotally connected to the lower ends of the spreader links 23 that extend into the chamber 24 and through the top of such chamber, the opening being made water-tight as by suitable stuffing box means 29 provided in the cover 30 of the chamber.

In operation, assuming the life boat to be in its suspended normal osition as shown in Fig. 1, the same may be oaded with persons, and the block and tackle operated to lower the life boat into the water. Upon the life boat being positioned in the water, the pressure on the float will elevate its free end within the chamber 24: and operate the curved spreader links 23, and move the connecting rods 22 outwardly toward the respective ends of the boat, thus withdrawing the fingers 21 from the hooks 14, and releasing the life boat from the lowering mechanism. This longitudinal movement of the rods 22 is caused by the curved nature of the spreader links 23, as when forced upwardly through the slot in the stufiing box 29, the upper ends of the links separate so as to move both rods 22 outwardly toward the ends of the boat. The boat is thus automatically released when it is properly positioned in the water, since the float will release the retaining arms from the hooks as soon as the retaining lock of the float is operated so as to leave the float free to be raised by the pressure of the water.

To secure hooks 14C to the fingers 21 when boat is to be raised, the lever 27 is operated so as to force the float downward against the pressure of the water where it may be Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the held by placing a pin under lever 27 or other desirable manner.

What I claim is 1. A life boat having a chamber in the bottom thereof which is opened at the bottom of the boat and closed at the top of the chamber, a float pivotally mounted at one end within said chamber, a pair of curved spreader links extending through the cover of said chamber, arms pivotally mounted at each end of the boat, connecting rods pivotally connected to the lower ends of said arms and to said spreader links, said arms having supporting fingers at their upper ends, and a lock for holding the float normally against movement.

2. A life boat provided in the bottom thereof with a float hamber that is closed at the top, a float pivotally mounted at one end within said chamber, means for locking the float normally against movement, a pair .of supporting arms plvotally mounted in the boat one at each end thereof, spreader arms connected to the free end of the float and extending through the cover of said chamber, and connecting rods pivotally attached to said spreader arms and to the supporting arms for actuating the latter when the lock of the float is released and the spreader arms moved upwardly in the chamber cover.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDWARD A. HARVEY.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

